backpain...

I have a 40# foot controlled either edge or all terrain, not sure which, but it has been awesome. Not a single problem with it in two seasons of use. Kind of wish it had half speeds because the difference is huge especially from 2 to 3 and 4 to 5.

I have only ever done it once when I was a teenager. I saw a big female under the edge of a dock guarding her nest. I got her to take an unweighted nightcrawler. After I brought her in (she barely fought) and released her I felt totally guilty. I have not done it intentionally since.

I laughed out loud at this one. I am pretty new to tournament fishing, and have only fished a few so my mistakes have yet to be made.

Most of mine have come on either zoom super flukes, or dropshotting roboworms. I have also had success using in-line spinners and shakee heads.

I am printing your post to give to my wife, it makes me look sane. She thinks I am crazy, and I only buy stuff when there are sales. Seriously though, it is true that there is some sort of power that the bait monkey holds over fisherman. We can never have enough! ;D BAD MONKEY!

What about a few of these? http://www.organize.com/accomdistow.html You could cut a thin piece of some wood or something to make the dividers whatever size you want. You could stack them to fill the space.

I have had my kids on the boat since I have owned one. My daughter was out on the boat before she could walk. I think as long as you have safety as top priority and they are wearing a properly maintained and good fitting PFD made specifically for their age group there is no reason they can't come along. I follow similar rules as K_Mac. One thing I would suggest is that you make the trip centered around them and not the fishing.

X2 I love night fishing, just hate the insects that the lights attract!

Depends on cover here. In wood, I use 20# floro. In matted veggies I use 50#+ braid.

If it is an after work trip it is 5-10 (ramp facilities close at ten in the city). If it is a day off trip it is at least 8 hours.

I like jigs in natural colors personally, black n blue, browns, green pumpkins, penut butter and jelly, and watermellons. I generally use three types of jigs. The first is the finnese jig which is usually 1/4 to 3/8 oz. in size and is made for pitching/flipping in cover it has a smaller profile with a sparse skirt for when the fish are less than aggressive. Secondly when the bass are more aggressive I will us a 1/2 to 3/4 oz traditional flipping jig for a faster drop and a fuller skirt. Thirdly when I am fishing offshore I use a football head jig anywhere between 3/4 and 1 oz depending on water depth. I use either a complimenting trailer color or an opposite trailer color depending on water conditions. I also carry two sizes of trailers because that has an effect on the drop rate. I carry the 2.5inch and 3.25 inch trailers. You would probably find a good assortment of the flipping/finesse jigs and trailers in a BPS kit, but might have to get a few football heads separate if you plan on fishing them offshore. These are my personal preferences, and I am sure you will get some better responses as well. This is what I have settled in this past season. It was my first one really devoting time to learning and using jigs myself. I really fell in love with the all terrain finesse jigs personally.

Your best best bet might be Core Creek Park just outside of Newtown. It is about 25 - 30 minutes from NE Philly. The Deleware River this time of year could get you some migrating striped bass. There are quite a few places with access to shore fishing. Neshaminy State park, Station Avenue park, Linden Avenue park. At the Corner of Linden Ave and State road is a little bait shop that has been around for ever, if nothing else they could point you somewhere.

I take mine out of their original packing and put them in plano boxes according to type. They keep very well, and even hold their scent. I find it works better for me in my small boat to have things in boxes rather than digging through bags for what I want.

I flip them into cover, use them to punch matted vegetation , not to mention Carolina rigging them in the summer months. They are a very versitile bait. They can be fished in just about any manner from dragging to hopping to swimming.

If I were only allowed one color for all applications, it would have to be a dark green pumkin with black flake.

Very nice fish, thanks for sharing her with us!

They wouldn't tell ya if he was using another type.

I am always taking teenagers and kids fishing.

I have an arsenal of 6 rods that I normally have onboard, but it changes for whatever the circumstances might be. For example, a clear lake with smallies I will have another spinning outfit or two and lighter action casting rods, versus a dirty water largie lake where jigs and frogs will be the ticket I will have heavier stuff. But right now on my deck is: Casting: 7'6" Heavy Flipping stick with a jig/punchbait 7' Heavy with a T-rigged beaver/finnese flip bait/frog/C-rig. 7' Med Heavy with a Spinner bait/C-Rig/T-rig/Senko 7' Med Heavy with a 4" suspending Jerkbait/Flukes T-Rig 7' Medium with a Rattle Spot/Crank baits Spinning" 6'9" MH fast with a shakee head/drop-shot/small tube This will probably be the rods I carry 90% of the time with various baits on them for the situation. Only a trip to say Erie, the Potomac etc. would make me swap out rods or leave a rod home. These rods allow for everything I need in most circumstances right at hand.

With a pitch in my opinion trajectory and entry is more important than distance. You need to keep the bait low to the water for the entire cast. It is critical to 1) get the silent entry or 2) get the bait to skip under branches docks etc. As far as rod tip, mine changes depending on the pitch. If I am skipping the bait deep under something or deep into cover my tip goes up higher to allow line to peel off of the spool and keep more velocity on the bait. If it is a silent entry I am going for, I normally stop the tip shorter and feather the spool.

That would be my opinion as well. I have had 2 7' heavys for about 2 years now. They feel strong enough to pull a car out of the mud. But they are heavy. I honestly rarely throw them because of the weight. If you are considering them for a certain application, I would go a power lower than you think you might need for the weight factor. I really wish mine were MH or even M. The action seems more on the moderate side as well.

If the boat will float it is time to fish! Seriously, get out there! I went for the first time Monday for a few hours. It was the first opportunity I have had since November, and boy was it a needed excercise. The conditions were wreched, had torrential rain for three days prior, 41* water temps, muddy and thick like chocolete milk, wind howling around 20-30mph. I didn't get a nibble, but I went fishing! lol It was a great feeling to be out on the water and getting the lines wet. But in the NE area of the country as the waters clear and warm from these recent storms, it will be ON! I just wish I had a day off or two coming up in the near future. :-/

For me it is an excellent question, this is the first spring I am fishing for bass. I will have to let you know. I normally don't get out bass fishing till mid June.

Cast like "a girl"; no really. Remember when you were little and were playing catch with someone that "threw like a girl"? No offense to the ladies, I know there are ladies that can throw and cast far better than the average guy! My point is, there is a definate and deliberate look to a person just learning to throw a ball. They hold their hand way back behind their head and kind of awkwardly and gingerly swing their stiff arm over their head. I would attempt to learn the baitcaster in the exact same motion. It will help you to keep your wrist in place, and your arm motion smooth. While learning to throw a baitcaster think through and throw it. You want to use you arm to get it out there.

I had two of them before recently passing them on to a younger fisherman. I would use them for anything from flukes and weightless senkos to finesse jigs and spinnerbaits. That is a perfect utility rod in my opinion.